2020 was a year that we will not forget soon. In addition to the health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic, many Californians faced significant financial stress. Unemployment, cut hours, and forced business closures caused many families to face eviction and foreclosure.
Lockdown orders closed much of the state for weeks. As the months dragged on, the virus continued to endanger public health, and the financial crisis only worsened for far too many families here in the Golden State.
2021 has brought some good news, however. Vaccines are now available from multiple manufacturers. Vaccinations have provided more and more Californians protection from the coronavirus, which in turn has allowed the state to open back up safely, one step at a time.
Two separate federal relief bills have helped many families endure the financial effects of the coronavirus. Now, thousands of jobs are being added to the economy, providing long-term financial stability to the families that suffered devastating financial losses during the pandemic. California is slowly rebuilding and resuming its normal business once again.
But what lessons can we learn from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic? Medical and financial researchers will be sifting through data for years to come. Yet, some crucial data is already available.
Car crashes are a public health risk that some authorities overlooked while the country suffered from the much larger threat of the coronavirus. But the accident data shows several alarming trends that happened in traffic fatality rates during 2020.
Examining this information can help public leaders make informed decisions that better protect road users. It also helps drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users to make choices that will protect them from car accidents.
In this article, Arash Law is taking a closer look at car crash statistics in the Bay Area in 2020 to help you understand the risks that you and your loved ones face on the road. After any Bay Area auto accident, be sure to call our office for a free consultation with a California car accident lawyer.
The Facts About San Francisco
San Francisco County has nearly one million residents. The United States Census Bureau reports a population of 881,549 as of July 1, 2019. According to Data USA, most of these San Francisco residents use public transit to get to work, with an average commute time of 30.9 minutes.
This reduced car use makes a difference in fatality rates: Vital Signs reports that San Francisco has the fifth-lowest rate of traffic fatalities among major metropolitan areas in the United States, an impressive statistic for the sixteenth most populous city in the United States. But the high use of public transportation does not mean that accidents don’t happen in the Bay Area.
Vital Signs also reports a 43 percent increase in San Francisco road fatalities between 2010 and 2016. Of these victims, 62 percent are bicyclists or pedestrians. This fact shows how much work there is to do to keep the roads of San Francisco safe for everyone.
You might think that accidents occur most often when it is dark or cloudy, or otherwise hard to see. Low visibility can indeed result in accidents, but according to City-Data, the vast majority of San Francisco accidents occur during daylight or in areas with traffic lights.
Accidents were also far more likely to occur in clear conditions than cloudy, raining, or foggy. These statistics show that drivers must not become complacent. Even if a driver has good visibility during well-lit, clear conditions, accidents can still happen. Drivers must always be cautious and pay attention to conditions in the roadway ahead of them.
Project Vision Zero
Vision Zero is a worldwide effort to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in major cities. Cities that join the program set specific benchmarks for reducing the number of road fatalities in their area until they reach the ultimate goal of zero road fatalities. Some major European cities – and even New York City here in America – have had success with the program.
Unfortunately, the California cities that have joined the program have had less success implementing their goals. Los Angeles has seen an increase in the city’s number of traffic fatalities since implementing Vision Zero.
According to the County Government, San Francisco is not meeting its benchmark goals to eliminate traffic fatalities. In fact, after a drop in fatalities in 2018 and 2019, the number climbed again in 2019.
What Happened in 2020
While 2020 statistics are not yet available from the County, the San Francisco Examiner reports thirty road deaths in San Francisco in 2020, one more death than the 29 reported by the County in 2019. So why would fatalities increase during a time when the number of miles driven dropped significantly?
This problem was not limited to San Francisco or even California as a whole. NHTSA released figures from across the United States that found the same trend: fatality rates were increasing when the number of miles driven was significantly decreasing. Why is this?
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that risky driving behaviors significantly increased during the pandemic. Excessive speed, increased average speed, reduced seatbelt use, and distraction-related to cell phones were higher in 2020. Researchers at trauma centers also found an increase in the number of drivers who tested positive for alcohol, marijuana, and a combination of drugs and alcohol.
All of these factors significantly increase the likelihood that a driver will be involved in an accident. These factors also increase the chances that an accident will be fatal for at least one person involved in the crash.
It is not clear why, exactly, drivers were choosing to engage in more dangerous behaviors during the pandemic. Some of the behaviors, like speeding, could occur because there were fewer cars on the road. Some experts suggest that, with more space on the road, frustrated drivers blew off steam from the stressful COVID-19 situation by driving as fast as they could.
But this does not explain the increase in distracted driving – nor does it explain the increase in driving while impaired by drugs, alcohol, or medication. The fact remains that many drivers simply chose to engage in risky driving behaviors that lead to traffic deaths.
What Needs to Happen in 2021
So how can San Francisco reverse this trend and get back on track to reduce traffic fatalities? City leaders will have to take a good, hard look at the available data from recent years. What are the causes of these fatal accidents? Are certain roads or areas of town more likely to cause accidents?
Are there dangerous roads, bridges, guardrails, or other infrastructure that needs to be maintained? Does the County need to target dangerous driving behaviors – like impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding – with an informational campaign?
All of these changes can work to save lives. That said, to be effective, policymakers must target certain behaviors specifically.
Like federal and state governments, the local government here in the Bay Area has only so many funds available to target road fatalities. As a result, policymakers must find the causes of fatal accidents in our area so they can spend this money effectively.
On an individual level, road users can avoid the behaviors that are most likely to cause accidents. Drivers should accept personal responsibility for taking these life-saving steps every time they hit the road:
- Do not travel above the posted speed limit.
- Reduce your speed when necessary to adapt to conditions like rain, sleet, low lighting, fog, nighttime driving, and other conditions that reduce your visibility.
- Always wear a seatbelt.
- Never drive while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, prescription medication, or any other substance that impairs your ability to drive safely.
- Do not let yourself become distracted by smartphones, smartwatches, and other connected devices. Silence the notifications on these devices, so you are not tempted to check them while driving.
- Program your GPS before you start driving.
- Settle pets and children as best you can so they are less likely to need your attention on the road.
Of course, drivers are not the only road users who can take steps to avoid accidents. We’ve already seen that more than half of all San Francisco road fatality victims are pedestrians and bicyclists. There are important steps you can take to protect yourself when you are not in a vehicle:
- Wear light-colored clothing and reflective tape to help ensure drivers can see you.
- Always watch for any traffic that is in the vicinity. Even if you have the right-of-way, a driver might not see you. Never assume you will be able to safely cross a street just because you have the right-of-way.
- Bikers should always wear a helmet. Doing so drastically reduces the chances of sustaining serious brain injuries – or brain death.
- Distraction is not just fatal to drivers! Do not become distracted by your phone, your smartwatch, listening to music, or other activities – especially while crossing a street. You need to be alert and ready to avoid other road users.
- Always use designated bike lanes, crosswalks, and other marked areas of the roadway. A car is more likely to hit you if you are not where you should be. Stay out of the lanes of oncoming traffic as much as possible.
- Use particular caution around vehicles that are backing up or having doors opened. These activities can distract a driver and their passengers, and they could be less likely to see you.
- It can be harder for drivers to see a bicyclist or pedestrian during times of low visibility. Be especially careful at night, in fog, during rain, and when the sunrise or sunset creates a glare in drivers’ eyes. Be ready to alert drivers to your presence – or get out of the way quickly, if necessary.
Anyone who suffers injuries because of a driver’s negligence has the legal right to seek compensation for their injuries and losses, including other drivers, passengers, motorcycle riders, bicyclists, scooter riders, pedestrians, and anyone else in the roadway.
In many cases, you can recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, lost quality of life, property damage, and any other losses you suffered because of the accident. A lawyer can help you determine how much your case may be worth and attempt to negotiate a fair settlement offer with the insurance company.
Drivers have a legal obligation to operate their vehicles with due care. When they neglect this duty and others are injured, it is important to hold them accountable for their actions.
Doing so helps reduce risky driving behaviors and makes the roads of San Francisco safer for everyone. The experienced Bar Area car crash lawyers at Arash Law are here to answer your questions and fight for your legal rights.
Speak to a California Car Accident Lawyer (888) 488-1391
The best car accident lawyers in the Bay Area are right here at Arash Law. You don’t have to spend hours searching online for a “car accident lawyer near me” because our skilled injury attorneys have decades of experience. We have collected over 200 million dollars for clients across the state.
Our skilled legal team serves accident victims in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Fremont, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Santa Rosa, Concord, Walnut Creek, San Leandro, Daly City, San Rafael, Emeryville, Sausalito, Union City, Pacifica, Newark, Pleasant Hill, Los Gatos, San Pablo, San Carlos, Half Moon Bay, Belmont, Gilroy, Cupertino, Livermore, Menlo Park, Morgan Hill, Napa, Sonoma, Redwood City, Richmond, San Mateo, San Bruno, Vacaville and throughout the Bay Area.
Clients throughout the state trust our team to protect their legal rights. We will fight hard for you, too, so you can recover from your injuries knowing that your legal rights are protected. Call (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
